upright Mac. However, Scott had totally replaced the innards with a processor running on some theory Jake could not begin to understand but which made silicon microchips obsolete. The thing could actually hold a conversation with you. And on one wall was a poster of Leonard Nimoy with pointed ears.
Jake found Scott behind the desk with the Press Herald open.
Scott glanced up as he walked in. “Oh. There you are. Just checking the results of last night’s Patriot’s game. I was so busy with my computations I forgot it was on television.”
“Sorry, Scott” the computer actually said. “I should have reminded you.”
“That’s all right,” Scott said to the computer, then to Jake, “I wish I could figure out a computation that might explain what the hell is wrong with their offensive front line.”
Jake noticed a folded newspaper resting in the chair in front of Scott’s desk. “What’s this? We got two papers today?”
“I sent April out for a second copy. There’s a story on the front page that’s so incredible, I thought you might like one of your own.”
Jake shrugged, then picked up the paper and dropped into the chair. Scott was watching him over the top of the sports page as Jake unfolded his copy of the Press Herald.
The top headline, in big black letters, read, EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH BOSTON’S SUPERHERO JAKE CALDER.
The secondary headline beneath it read, A WEEKEND WITH CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS, by Kimberly Stratton.
“Uh-oh.”
“Now,” Scott said, calmly. Jake had forgotten how when Scott was really really angry, his voice took on a sort of eerie calmness. “Let’s talk about this incredible weekend of yours.”
CHAPTER NINE
Scott said, “Just what the hell were you thinking? Did you just feel, for some insane reason, inspired to tell her every single thing there is to tell? Regardless of how classified it might be?”
Scott was not being so calm now. His voice was rising a bit, and increasing in intensity.
“I..,” Jake’s hands were out before him, like he was reaching for an answer that was not there. The paper had fallen into his lap. “I really don’t know what I was thinking.”
Scott got up from his desk, and began to pace within what little pacing space he had in the limited confines of his office. Pacing was what Scott did when he was thinking, and when he was ranting. Jake knew this was going to be one of Scott’s ranting moments.
“I already had a call from the White House today. Our old pal, the Secretary of Technological Development. Did you tell her about him? Hmm?”
“No, I don’t think I mentioned him.”
“And why – pray tell – not? An oversight on your part?”
“Probably,” Jake said with sarcasm. One thing he was not good at was being yelled at, even if he was in the wrong. He felt his own ire rising.
“And you told her about the interdimensional teleporter?”
“No, I didn’t..,” Jake hesitated. “The what ?”
“That’s just it.” Scott’s paper was now rolled up in his hand and he bonked Jake on the top of the head with it. “We don’t have an interdimensional teleporter. Where did she come up with that one?”
“I don’t know.”
“So, you had a little bit to drink, got a little nookie, and decided that was reason to spill your guts about every single classified thing going on here?”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Though..,” Scott’s voice drifted off. He was no longer really listening to Jake. His gaze was growing distant. “An inter-dimensional teleporter may not be such a bad idea. This would solve a lot of problems. I mean, I’ve theorized the existence of parallel worlds for some time. I did that when I was twelve. And I have proven my theory correct. But the problem has always been how to cross from our universe to one of the others.”
“Scott. Focus.”
Scott looked at him questioningly. Then, “Oh, yeah. Sorry. Okay, here’s the problem. They’re bringing over a team to interrogate us all,
Jake found Scott behind the desk with the Press Herald open.
Scott glanced up as he walked in. “Oh. There you are. Just checking the results of last night’s Patriot’s game. I was so busy with my computations I forgot it was on television.”
“Sorry, Scott” the computer actually said. “I should have reminded you.”
“That’s all right,” Scott said to the computer, then to Jake, “I wish I could figure out a computation that might explain what the hell is wrong with their offensive front line.”
Jake noticed a folded newspaper resting in the chair in front of Scott’s desk. “What’s this? We got two papers today?”
“I sent April out for a second copy. There’s a story on the front page that’s so incredible, I thought you might like one of your own.”
Jake shrugged, then picked up the paper and dropped into the chair. Scott was watching him over the top of the sports page as Jake unfolded his copy of the Press Herald.
The top headline, in big black letters, read, EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH BOSTON’S SUPERHERO JAKE CALDER.
The secondary headline beneath it read, A WEEKEND WITH CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS, by Kimberly Stratton.
“Uh-oh.”
“Now,” Scott said, calmly. Jake had forgotten how when Scott was really really angry, his voice took on a sort of eerie calmness. “Let’s talk about this incredible weekend of yours.”
CHAPTER NINE
Scott said, “Just what the hell were you thinking? Did you just feel, for some insane reason, inspired to tell her every single thing there is to tell? Regardless of how classified it might be?”
Scott was not being so calm now. His voice was rising a bit, and increasing in intensity.
“I..,” Jake’s hands were out before him, like he was reaching for an answer that was not there. The paper had fallen into his lap. “I really don’t know what I was thinking.”
Scott got up from his desk, and began to pace within what little pacing space he had in the limited confines of his office. Pacing was what Scott did when he was thinking, and when he was ranting. Jake knew this was going to be one of Scott’s ranting moments.
“I already had a call from the White House today. Our old pal, the Secretary of Technological Development. Did you tell her about him? Hmm?”
“No, I don’t think I mentioned him.”
“And why – pray tell – not? An oversight on your part?”
“Probably,” Jake said with sarcasm. One thing he was not good at was being yelled at, even if he was in the wrong. He felt his own ire rising.
“And you told her about the interdimensional teleporter?”
“No, I didn’t..,” Jake hesitated. “The what ?”
“That’s just it.” Scott’s paper was now rolled up in his hand and he bonked Jake on the top of the head with it. “We don’t have an interdimensional teleporter. Where did she come up with that one?”
“I don’t know.”
“So, you had a little bit to drink, got a little nookie, and decided that was reason to spill your guts about every single classified thing going on here?”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Though..,” Scott’s voice drifted off. He was no longer really listening to Jake. His gaze was growing distant. “An inter-dimensional teleporter may not be such a bad idea. This would solve a lot of problems. I mean, I’ve theorized the existence of parallel worlds for some time. I did that when I was twelve. And I have proven my theory correct. But the problem has always been how to cross from our universe to one of the others.”
“Scott. Focus.”
Scott looked at him questioningly. Then, “Oh, yeah. Sorry. Okay, here’s the problem. They’re bringing over a team to interrogate us all,
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